Improvement in pocket-knives



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEo JOHN G.- PERRY, OF SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RHODE ISLAND.

IM PROVEMENT 'IN POCKET-KNIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,620, dated October 7, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. PERRY, of South Kingstown, in the county of Washington, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pocket or Clasp Knives; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and correct description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Similar letters denote the same parts in all the gures.

Figure l is a representation of the knife partly open. Fig. 2 shows the same with the sides of the handles separated from the blade. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the knife open, taken through in the direction of the dotted line w w. Fig. 4 represents a dirk-knife of this plan.

The main object of my improvements is to make the knife so that it will not allow of the blades closing upon the fingers or hand by mistake in cutting against the back or when used in any other way, and also as in the case of pocket fruit-knives, for the purpose of enabling any one to clean the inside of the handle as readily as the outside. f

The construction is as follows: The two sides B B', (see Fig. 2,) which may be made of metal on the inside and horn, wood, ivory, or other suitable material on the outside,as usual, have each a semicircular groove, c a', made in their inner surfaces on the front side of the rivet s that holds the blade A in place, the circle of which the grooves are a part being struck from the center of that rivet-hole. The haft of the blade or that part of it that has the rivet-hole s has two pins, o o', inserted in it, one on each side on opposite sides of the rivet-hole s, and at the same distance from it that the grooves a a are,so that when the sides of the handle are fastened to the blade there will be one pin in each groove. There being no spring or back between the sides of the handle. to keep them at a proper distance apart, a block,k, is attached to one side at the lower end for that purpose. Astaple or catch, r, projects from the same end far enough out beyond the block to reach through the recess t in the other part, (see Fig. 3,) and receive the end ofthe bolt @which is placed between the metal n and the outside covering, t, of the handle, in a recess made for it to slide in. This bolt is fastened near its upper end to the escutcheon or namewill be withdrawn from the staple 1*, which will allow the end of that side of the handle B to be sprung up far enough to clear the staple r,when it is to be turned around in a circle on the rivet s in the direction of the arrows on the dotted circle d (see Fig. l) until it is in its 'first position again, when the sta-y ple r, being allowed to enter the recess, it is secured by pushing the escutcheon. down from the rivet s.Y` When this part of the handle has n made onehalf of its circular movement, the end of the groove a. comes in contact with the pin o and carries it with it, causing the blade to make one-half of a circle, so that when-the handle is closed again the blade is open and is held firm in that position by the pin o resting against the upper end of groove a and pin o resting against the lower end of the groove a. To close the blade the same motions are made,- except that the circular motions of the part of the handle are reversed.

The knife may be made with two or more blades by putting a piece of metal,furnished with a groove similar to those in the sides-already described, between the blades and putting another bolt, 8vo., in the other side of the handle, the staples in this case being fastened to the center plate. s

The general shape of the knife is not material. It may be in any of the forms of pocketknives, or in the shape of avdirk-knife, as represented in Fig. 4.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 

